Michael J. Leon Guerrero

Michael J. Leon Guerrero joined the Office of the County Counsel in 2015 and is a member of the Labor and Employment and Public Safety and Justice Teams.  He represents and advises several County departments in all aspects of labor and employment law, including handling contested disciplinary termination appeal hearings before arbitrators and the Personnel Board; litigation in state and federal courts; contested wage and hour claims before the California Labor Commissioner; unfair practice charges before the Public Employment Relations Board; contested Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board hearings; contested Pitchess and Gun Violence Restraining Order hearings; and he provides representation during state and federal employment investigations.  He also provides labor and employment advice relating to hiring, training, evaluation, reasonable accommodation, employee dismissal, labor relations, MMBA, FLSA, and POBRA.  Michael’s professional expertise includes several completed employment jury and bench trials, and appeal hearings before the California Court of Appeal and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal.  Michael’s knowledge of labor and employment laws includes equal opportunity and anti-discrimination laws, employee discipline and discharge, Public Safety Officers Procedural Bills of Rights Act, reasonable accommodation procedures, family and medical leave laws, Fair Labor Standards Act, labor negotiations, project labor agreements, Meyers-Milias Brown Act, workplace sexual harassment and Equal Employment Opportunity training, Public Employment Retirement System, the Public Employee Pension Reform Act, land use, planning, California Environmental Quality Act, and the California Public Records Act and Ralph M. Brown Act. 

Office practice areas

• Labor and Employment Team 
• Public Safety and Justice Team 

​​Education

• University of San Francisco, School of Law, J.D., 1996 
• University of California, Berkeley. B.A., 1990 

Professional associations

• Judge Pro Tem, San Mateo County Superior Court (2005-2015) 
• Member, Transportation, Public Works and Community Services Committee of the League of California Cities (2014-2015) 

Prior experience

• Assistant City Attorney for Redwood City Attorney’s Office (2012-2015) 
• Deputy City Attorney for San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, SFO Airport Legal Team (2009-2012) 
• Deputy City Attorney for San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, Labor  and Employment Team, (1998-2009) 
• Legal Research Attorney for San Francisco Superior Court’s Law and Motion Department (Judge David A. Garcia) (1996-1998)